This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com

The lyrics of hip hop greats are filled with imagery about mental illness, addiction and overcoming struggles — from musings on the dangerous power of alcohol in Kendrick Lamar’s 2012 song “Swimming Pools,” to the portrait of an obsessive fan in Eminem’s 2000 track “Stan.”

With that connection in mind, two rap-loving researchers have launched Hip Hop Psych, a mental health awareness initiative using the genre for anti-stigma campaigns and outreach work in prisons, schools and youth hostels.

The pair have written about the connection between hip hop and mental health and drug culture for major medical journals such as The Lancet and the Journal of Public Mental Health — and recently appeared in Toronto for an event sponsored by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, merging music and mental-health awareness.

The Star spoke to psychiatrist Dr. Akeem Sule, based out of the Cumbria and South Essex NHS Trusts in the U.K., and Canadian neuroscientist Dr. Becky Inkster, a University of Toronto grad who’s now working in the psychiatry department of the University of Cambridge, about how the genre can help break down stigma and open people’s eyes to the world of mental health.

Article Continued Below

What, exactly, is Hip Hop Psych all about?

AS: When you look at the origins of hip hop, you find out it happened in south Bronx at a time when there was economic collapse and the plight of African-Americans and Hispanics was really bad. But out of this same culture came a multibillion-dollar industry. What Becky and I believe is that, when you look at the hip hop lyrics, you can actually see snippets of mental-health problems — but also look at resilience.

BI: It’s often really difficult to get these medical messages across. There’s so much research and knowledge out there, but it falls short of actually reaching the people. This is such a different, unique way of delivering the information in a way people can relate to.

What does your outreach work look like?

AS: Our outreach work has involved prisons, where we dissect lyrics which have a focus on resilience. We talked to the prisoners and identified lyrics which we dissected with emphasis on resilience (eg. positive visual imagery, cognitive reframing.) We also talked about mental-health problems highlighted in the lyrics … the prisoners felt able to open up about mental-health problems they had been experiencing in a way that would not have been possible if hip hop lyrics were not used.

So what’s special about hip hop? Why this versus another genre?

BI: It tends to be really raw in terms of the message. So it doesn’t sugar coat anything and the message comes from the heart. It’s often about socio-political struggles, self-expression, equality, fighting for what you deserve.

AS: It kind of focuses on the underdog, the underclass. What could be more relevant? Hip hop is really good at reaching hard-to-reach communities.

Some stories have suggested your work is all about hip hop being a “cure” for depression, or a “therapy” for mental illness. But that’s not the case, right?

AS: Just to make it clear, we’re public health campaigners. It’s like an anti-stigma campaign. It fits with what’s happening in Canada at the moment — the Mental Health Commission of Canada said you can’t sit down and do nothing. Public health education and anti-stigma campaigns should be at the forefront of any mental health intervention in Canada.

Some critics question the violent imagery and drug use detailed in many hip hop lyrics. What’s your response to that?

BI: If someone is surrounded by an environment with drugs — a toxic environment — why wouldn’t you talk about these issues? It goes back to freedom of expression. It’s a way of trying to cope and turning it into a positive.

AS: There is also an underground hip hop movement. If you want socially conscious hip hop, it’s there. You just need to check, rather than looking at chart music.

BI: But it’s not just about people who have been diagnosed. We want to get away from this classification of them, us, the other. It’s about your own well-being and knowing your own family situation, and it’s about coping strategies and educating the public.

Music with a message

Notorious B.I.G. — “Juicy”

It’s about aspirations. There is some interesting research about people having future-positive visual imagery. In this track, Biggie’s actually doing that. It’s a way of developing resilience and protecting yourself from depression.

— Dr. Akeem Sule

Kendrick Lamar — “Swimming Pools”

If you hear it, it sounds like a horrible, horrible message about alcohol misuse. It’s actually about a kid going through hard struggles and trying to make the right decisions while his environment, and pressures around him, are fighting against him.

— Dr. Becky Inkster

Eminem — “Stan”

“Stan” is very interesting, because you see all kinds of materials covered, from attachment difficulties at a young age to the implications of self-harm and drug addiction. There’s family disruption and how it can affect adult mental-health problems.

More from the Toronto Star & Partners

LOADING

Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or distribution of this content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. To order copies of Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com